A Nd—Fe—B based sintered magnet (so-called neodymium magnet) is made of a combination of iron and elements of Nd and B that are inexpensive, abundant, and stably obtainable natural resources and can thus be manufactured at a low cost and additionally has high magnetic properties (its maximum energy product is about 10 times that of ferritic magnet). Accordingly, the Nd—Fe—B sintered magnets have been used in various kinds of articles such as electronic devices and have recently come to be adopted in motors and electric generators for hybrid cars.
On the other hand, since the Curie temperature of the above-described sintered magnet is as low as about 300° C., there is a problem in that the Nd—Fe—B sintered magnet sometimes rises in temperature beyond a predetermined temperature depending on the circumstances of service of the product to be employed and therefore that it will be demagnetized by heat when heated beyond the predetermined temperature. In using the above-described sintered magnet in a desired product, there are cases where the sintered magnet must be fabricated into a predetermined shape. There is then another problem in that this fabrication gives rise to defects (cracks and the like) and strains to the grains of the sintered magnet, resulting in a remarkable deterioration in the magnetic properties.
Therefore, when the Nd—Fe—B sintered magnet is obtained, it is considered to add Dy and/or Tb which largely improve the grain magnetic anisotropy of principal phase because they have magnetic anisotropy of 4f-electron larger than that of Nd and because they have a negative Stevens factor similar to Nd. However, since Dy and/or Tb takes a ferrimagnetism structure having a spin orientation negative to that of Nd in the crystal lattice of the principal phase, the strength of magnetic field, accordingly the maximum energy product exhibiting the magnetic properties is extremely reduced.
In order to solve this kind of problem, it has been proposed: to form a film of Dy and/or Tb to a predetermined thickness (to be formed in a film thickness of above 3 μm depending on the volume of the magnet) over the entire surface of the Nd—Fe—B sintered magnet; then to execute heat treatment at a predetermined temperature; and to thereby homogeneously diffuse the Dy and/or Tb that has been deposited (formed into thin film) on the surface into the grain boundary phase of the magnet (see non-patent document 1).
The permanent magnet manufactured in the above-described method has an advantage in that: because Dy and/or Tb diffused into the grain boundary phase improves the grain magnetic anisotropy of each of the grain surfaces, the nucleation type of coercive force generation mechanism is strengthened; as a result, the coercive force is dramatically improved; and the maximum energy product will hardly be lost (it is reported in non-patent document 1 that a magnet can be obtained having a performance, e.g., of the remanent flux density: 14.5 kG (1.45 T), maximum energy product: 50 MGOe (400 kJ/m3), and coercive force: 23 kOe (3 MA/m)).
[Non-patent document 1] Improvement of coercivity on thin Nd2Fe14B sintered permanent magnets (by Pak Kite of Tohoku University, Doctor Thesis, Mar. 23, 2000)